Letters to the Editor for Sunday, June 24, 2018

Disclosure is Essential to Restoring Trust

In an era often rife with mistrust, it’s key for citizens, businesses and communities to focus on the importance of disclosure. The Sierra Nevada Public Relations Society of America ethics committee would like to share the essence of a good reminder recently sent to our members, from our national headquarters, in the form of an ethical standards advisory.

The advisory states, “In and of itself, disclosure is a powerful act. It is the intentional release of information to facilitate transparency, openness, access and accountability. Disclosure is often at the heart of many ethical questions. Failure to disclose is, in most cases, questionable, improper and often unethical.

“But the act of disclosure is perishable. Disclosure following delay, denial, unexplained silence or when lies are exposed has diminishing value, especially to those who feel harmed, ignored or betrayed by a delayed explanation. Disclosures delayed are major causes of reputational damage.”

In today’s hyper-fast communications environment, disclosing information in a timely manner is more important than ever. Trust seems to be a diminishing factor in all aspects of society. If your goal is to develop trust, whether with family members, friends, business colleagues, or community members, the advisory continues, it “really depends on the affected parties getting crucial information in advance of their need to have and use that information. Disclosure that is delayed, denied or used in a way that compromises its effect, is a trust buster every time.”

Christel K. Hall, Ethics Committee Member

Minden

They’re all corrupt

After the whitewash Inspector General’s report on Clinton’s emails, Americans know our government is corrupt at its highest levels. Anyone wanting truth about the Obama administration has no way to find it. We now know without reasonable doubt that the FBI, IRS and State Department became, and still are, highly politicized under Obama.

The worst thing about the IG’s report was its failure to follow obvious evidence to its conclusion. Since the FBI was protecting Hillary from criminal charges, and taking steps to defeat President Trump, do you really think they acted in isolation. Did Obama know nothing? Coupled with known corruption at the IRS and State Department, it is clear their actions were coordinated through Obama, especially with department heads chosen by Obama. Obama’s Czars were scattered throughout the government ensuring his orders were obeyed, especially the reinterpretation of administrative law. Clearly, Obama orchestrated Hillary’s protection, the attacks on Trump, the false dossier, and the spying on Trump.

Obama changed the federal government from a neutral non-political bureaucracy, to a liberal political operation. We can no longer expect honest investigation and we can expect government bureaucracies that are weaponized against conservative Americans.

Alan Dale Daniel

Carson City

President Trump was heartless

The POTUS has accomplished the ultimate heartless, cruel act that smacks of Nazi Germany in World War II. Children were separated from their parents, families broken up and incarcerated in camps. Those children detained at our border are not criminals!

The children do not understand why their parents are gone. They’re deprived of comfort from the strangers caring for them: Picture this: A little child, confused, crying for his/her mother, alone. She doesn’t come. It’s cruel! What is wrong with this noncompasionate man who is becoming a monster? Misinterpreting laws to suit his agenda is appalling.

Mr. Trump was elected (obviously erroneously) to be president, not a dictator. His actions confirm my belief his is not fit to be a president.

The families need to be kept together if they are detained at the border until the malfunctioning government gets their head out of the sand and figures out the immigration reform that works. Punishing little, innocents is not the way to deter illegal border crossings. It’s cruel, unjust and just plain wrong!

Phillis E. Skamel

Carson City

Since 1999, when most people in North America first heard about West Nile Virus (WNV), we’ve been measuring the impact of West Nile by looking at its fatality count. It’s time to take note of the impact on the survivors of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease.

It’s important to remember that approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all. Only 20 people who become infected will display symptoms, which can include fever, headache, and body aches. West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease is involvement of the brain and nervous system, a very severe form of WNV infection.

Since 1999, more than 46,086 cases of West Nile Virus in the USA were confirmed by the CDC. Statistics show that 46.8 percent of these were cases of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease. That is 21,574 households where lives have been changed, forever.

(statistics from CDC Final Cumulative Maps & Data for 1999–2016

https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsmaps/cumMapsData.html)

The key to raising awareness is to share information widely. We must:

• focus on reducing the mosquito population, and

• acknowledge the serious impact of mosquito borne encephalitis such as West Nile and share information and support with survivors and families.

Like a seatbelt in a car, these are not precautions to be taken with loud and dramatic panic. But with education, self-respect and motivation, to protect our loved ones and ourselves.

Wendy Station

Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada